


Skywarp and the Crow- A Transformers Study

by OverthinkingMind



Category: G.I. Joe (IDW Comics), The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Character Analysis, Character Study, Comparative Essay, Crows, Essay, Gen, Meta, Nonfiction, Spoilers, Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:49:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23320477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverthinkingMind/pseuds/OverthinkingMind
Summary: A character study about Skywarp's connection to crows; from the mythology and symbolism associated with the bird. This will also examine his name in the Portugal and Brazilian comics, and how they perfectly describe his character in IDW.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15
Collections: March Meta Matters Challenge





	Skywarp and the Crow- A Transformers Study

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on May 1st, 2017 and it's currently sitting on 6 notes. The original title was "Food for Thought: Skywarp and the Crow".

I remember a long time ago when I first discovered the TFWiki back in eighth grade. I would browse around for my favorite characters, and I even found some things that were different but interesting to read back then. I still do this once in a while, but what got me was the foreign names for the Transformers characters. Some of them were close to their English names, and then there were some names where they were completely different from what others call them. This is how the topic of this discussion was brought about. Skywarp’s foreign names.

The three most notable ones are the names highlighted in the screenshot.

The names caught my eye while I was browsing, and they had come to mind with how he was acting in the current G.I. Joe comics. Even with some of the past comics before the Revolution event happened. The name Crow is a very simple, and yet interesting name to call Skywarp in Italy. Much like in Brazil where he’s called Traveler in the comics, or even his Portugal name, Espião Celeste, is something. At the time when I first learned of these names when I was in middle school, I didn’t think too much of it. Now, I think they might be worth talking about. So we will be examining the name Crow, and how his Italian name can be connected to his character in the IDW/G1 continuity with the actual bird. This will also piece together his Portuguese names with a crow’s qualities both in mysticism and mythology. Again with Skywarp, there will be a lot of inferring and speculation when it comes to his past.

In order to properly explain about Skywarp and his ties with crows, it’s best to understand what the symbolism behind crows are. It’s also note worthy to point out that the meanings for crows are interchangeable with ravens, but they do still have some differences. I think the reason behind why their meanings are interchangeable is because people tend to mix-up them because of how similar they look. So let us only examine crows to make things simpler for everybody. I had to search through a lot of websites and videos for this, and there is this common theme with crows. In certain brands of mythology and mysticism, crows are usually associated with death since they can be seen around human corpses on ancient battlefield. Although they are seen as bad omens in most cultures; other cultures view these birds as good omens. The symbol of the crow has many meanings, but the most common traits for crows are as follow: they are tricksters that are confident, intelligent, they are messengers to the divine, they carry many secrets and mysteries, and lastly they are signs of change. What does the last one have to do with Skywarp? That will be explained at the end. Surprisingly enough Skywarp demonstrates enough of these meanings and even how they act in the real world, to an extent at least.

Crows are tricksters in certain cultures, such as in Native American culture where they are as deceptive as coyotes. There have also been many cases where crows have outsmarted other animals to either get food, or to run away from harm. The crow also symbolizes confidence because they can get away with their tricks. Skywarp shows these two qualities on the battlefield when trying to outsmart his opponents, or running away from a losing fight with his teleportation. In the IDW comics he does use the fullest capability of his powers, but the trick does wear out once they start seeing through it. Another example is in his general bio. He is known to play pranks on both friend and foe, and this is again where he uses his teleportation to get away with it. Teleportation is his one tool to either confuse others, to pursue, or to run away from trouble, and it seems to be his only way to get what he wants. He’s really confident with his ability, and it shows on and off the battlefield. In fact he may be too reliant on his powers to do anything. At the current moment he can’t teleport because, well, there hasn’t been a clear answer for what’s wrong with him. I theorized it’s tied to his mental state or his confidence. It’s a psychosomatic problem if anything, and that’s why he can’t teleport. But to Skywarp, he thinks it’s a physical problem to be fixed. He is so desperate to have his teleportation back that he’ll side with humans to get it back. He doesn’t even like the idea, but he has no choice.

Now he has to find another way to fool his enemies without his teleportation, and that has yet to be seen.

The most interesting thing I’ve read was how crows are messengers of the divine in many brands of mythology; such as in Japanese myths, Chinese, ancient Greece, and most importantly Norse mythology. In Norse myth Odin had two crows, or was it ravens, who would be found perched upon his throne. They are named Huginn and Muninn, or Thought and Memory in English, and they were his spies and messengers. They would set out to travel around the mortal world, and they would tell Odin the events of the land of men. In a sense, Skywarp is a messenger to not the divine but to his leaders. Whoever they are at the time. He has done this many times before he lost control over his teleportation, and even after when he can’t use it. He has done this with Megatron in _Transformers: Bumblebee_ for one.

He has been a messenger for Ratbat, and even has spied for him until his death in _Transformers: Ex-RiD_.

  


And now Skywarp is Scarlett’s messenger in the current G.I. Joe series after Revolution. Even though he is aloof working with humans, but you take what you get.

When looking at his name in the Portugal comics, when you translate it into English he’s called Heavenly Spy. The name does suit him very nicely with how he’s portrayed in the IDW/G1 comics. He sends news of events on Earth, Cybertron, the events of the war, or even in the Lemuria. His name in Brazil’s Portuguese, Traveler, also suits him since he does travel a lot to bring news to his current commanding officer. Much like how Huginn and Muninn had done so long ago.

Both in symbols and real life crows are intelligent birds who can solve basic problems, and this does include crows remembering who is either their friend or foe. Skywarp does show this level of intelligence when it comes to trusting others, it’s mostly street smarts, but he seems unrealistic at times with his desires. Such as with Thundercracker where Skywarp saw him as a close friend and brother ever since in _Megatron Origin_ , or even before all that. But once Thundercracker decided enough was enough in _All Hail Megatron_ issue #12, Skywarp turned on him and tried to kill him for it. He hasn’t tried to find him after the fact because either he thinks Thundercracker hates him forever, or Skywarp doesn’t stay with people who have either lied and/or caused him harm. Especially how Galvatron offered false promises of repair, and Skywarp started to see through his lies. But he needed the right opportunity to leave. That was through Blackrock and Faireborn by a secret deal that he made with the humans under the condition that they would fix his powers. Once that was set, he leaves to the EDC once Galvatron had left Earth. Whatever the foundation, he’ll choose whatever is more stable than where he’s at right now. It does also mean he has to give the benefit of a doubt with the EDC, and now with G.I. Joe to help him out. Another example of his intelligence, and I find this the most fascinating to mention, is about his thoughts on Titans. Before the Dire Wraiths attacked, Optimus raised a Titan out of the ground in the later issues of _The Transformers_. It is hinted at Skywarp has a good understanding on how holy an act of raising a Titan is to his people to the President of the United States; even if it was brief.

Funny that he knows how **holy** it is for someone to raise Titans out of the ground. For someone who lived in a Pre-War Cybertron that followed the philosophy of Functionism, where everyone had a place but they had to stay in that place, where the Council tried their damnedest to validate their own philosophy and decisions with the will of Primus. A twisted mess of excuses they made, so they can continue to think they’re doing the right thing. While they did learned the names of the Thirteen Primes, even the few who have fallen to darkness, they never learned who these people were and why they were so important. Much like the Titans, they were only thought of as myths and legends as time went on. Nothing more to them after the First Civil War on Cybertron. The Thirteen Primes where some are either dead or the few who have lived left their home planet for other worlds. No one is going to think that a myth is a holy thing to try to understand. Then why does Skywarp even described the event as that? Holy. It would make sense for him to learn the names of the Thirteen Primes’ and the legends of the Titans. But he probably didn’t think too much of it because they were simply tales and names to him. At the time at least. I would assume during Pre-War Cybertron he later learns who, why, and how the Primes and Titans were crucial in their history, and it stuck with him ever since then. We don’t know how and where he learned any of this information, or if this is even the case. Or maybe he looks at the Titans and Primes as something holy to him. That’s one of the many secrets and mysteries he holds. Which brings up the next point.

Crows symbolize secrets and mysteries because they can fly freely on Earth, and you kind of wonder what do they see in this world. Skywarp is a character who is full of secrets and mysteries, and yet you can still infer a few elements that stick out from him. He’ll leave if the foundation isn’t sturdy enough for him, he likes to feel important, he hates being called weak and useless, he prefers to be in groups, and it seems as though he was used a lot because of his power. That would explain why he becomes more distant to other people as time went on. Also crows in the wild are seen in groups, usually in threes or more. They even represent the kind of people who prefer to be in groups, and Skywarp is one of those types.

I personally think of two things with the way his character is being written: 1.) This is ingenious writing for a character from the 80′s that had no character outside of “thug”, or 2.) It was unintentional as the comics went on because most people don’t buy Transformers comics. I don’t know, but I find it fun and exciting to dig in. Maybe that’s why I find Skywarp’s character fun to talk about. He’s a mystery waiting to be solved, and there are some clues from his actions and words that help lead the way. For the most part that is. It’s mostly the “whys” and “hows” with his character, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Now comes the interesting part; crows symbolize change. The reason for them being associated with change is because of their connection to the sky, the heavens, and have witnessed many of these changes in the world. Plus when they build their nests in really high spots on trees, or when they’re soaring through the sky. It gives them new and different perspectives on life. With Skywarp, well, it’s in his English and Portuguese names: heaven and sky. Well here’s a problem with him; he doesn’t like major changes. Especially what’s going on where he’s forced to. It’s because he’s so used to being with the Decepticons for so long that the faction was the only stable foundation he had, other than Thundercracker. To him it felt right to stay. What’s the point in changing? But as the war fizzles out and everyone wants to move on with their lives; his old structure crumbles away with every issue and having lost control of his powers. He leaves for another foundation that’s more grounded than the last. And maybe he’ll find someone who will actually fix his problem unlike Galvatron. I find this funny and puzzling because his own name contradicts with what he wants. His alt-mode is associated with flying in the sky, and even his own name has sky in it. His own goals contradict these connections is because he wants to have a sense of structure somewhere. Again we have no idea what his backstory is, so we can only speculate through his actions and attitudes to get a vague idea about him. Whatever caused these strong, persistent earthly desires, it still has a big impact on him after millions of years after the fact. Also, here’s the kicker, the sky is also associated with intelligence, knowledge, and freedom. While the Earth is associated with structure and being grounded. I remember seeing a screen-cap of a panel where Thundercracker thinks about how he chose that name for himself because of his speed, and how that very speed would “tear apart the skies”. Now with Skywarp, I can see where he would give himself that name. He probably has the desire to have freedom, and to have a sense of belonging to allow that freedom to be shown. He never had the chance to do so for a long time until the Decepticons were formed. Yes the faction and himself did a lot of terrible things, but I’m talking about before the group and the war. He could have come up with the name to show that he’s proud of the fact he’s trying to find his own freedom. In a time where it was impossible to have this kind of personal freedom, and he’s proud having the ability to teleport because it can and has been proven to be useful. Even if when there are times where his talent acts more like a pain to have. Whatever the case may be, it’s that ability to be free to change that makes the crow’s meaning the more fascinating to compare to Skywarp.

There you have it. Here’s Skywarp’s association with the crows through his Italian name, and I tried to expand on his Portuguese names to further the discussion about the two. Skywarp is about as tricky as he is confident about it. He is also a smart cookie, well sometimes, a messenger to his current commanding officers, a walking mystery, and maybe change can be on the table for him. Well, when the time is right for him that is. He’s free to do so as he please. He has a lot in common with a crow that’s for sure, and that’s actually really something. In fact I think it was fun to see what they had in common in terms of symbolism.


End file.
